U.S. patent number 4,942,983 [Application Number 07/266,309] was granted by the patent office on 1990-07-24 for apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate ice.
Invention is credited to John R. Bradbury.
United States Patent |
4,942,983 |
Bradbury |
July 24, 1990 |
Apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate ice
Abstract
An apparatus for dispensing particulate ice including a case
with an ice hopper therein for storage of ice. The ice hopper is
provided with a downwardly sloped floor. An auger assembly is
provided for moving ice within the ice hopper upwardly along the
sloped floor from the lower end to dispense the ice from an opening
at the upper end thereof. The apparatus is also provided with a
lever arm, electric circuitry, and a motor mounted within the case
in the space inside the walls thereof and under the sloped floor of
the ice hopper for selectively activating the auger assembly. The
auger assembly includes a rotating shaft which is sealed against
the stationary ice hopper in a packing case, the packing case
having a hole therethrough for receiving the rotating shaft, a seal
cap and a thrust bearing. The sealing cap is provided with a seal
for sealing against both the packing case and the rotating
shaft.
Inventors: |
Bradbury; John R. (San Antonio,
TX) |
Family
ID: |
26951758 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/266,309 |
Filed: |
October 31, 1988 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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944845 |
Dec 18, 1986 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
222/238;
198/550.1; 222/333; 222/517; 141/360; 222/413; 384/149 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C
5/24 (20180101) |
Current International
Class: |
F25C
5/00 (20060101); G01F 011/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;384/139,142,149 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Rolla; Joseph J.
Assistant Examiner: Huson; Gregory L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cox & Smith Incorporated
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser.
No. 944,845, filed Dec. 18, 1986 and now abandoned.
Claims
I claim:
1. An apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate ice
comprising:
an ice hopper for storage of particulate ice, said ice hopper
further comprising a sloped floor;
a selectively actuable means for moving particulate ice contained
within said ice hopper upwardly along said sloped floor from the
lower end of said sloped floor to the upper end thereof, which
ice-moving means has an axis of movement and is adapted to move
particulate ice in a direction parallel to said axis of
movement;
a first axial means for agitation ice contained within said hopper,
which first agitating means is rotatably mounted within said hopper
in an orientation having the axis of said first agitating means
approximately parallel to said axis of movement of said ice moving
means;
an opening in said ice hopper for dispensing particulate ice from
said ice hopper, which opening is positioned to receive ice moved
by said ice-moving means; and
packing means mounted in a wall of said hopper, said first
agitating means having a shaft along its axis which is rotatably
mounted in said packing means, said packing means further
comprising:
a packing case mounted in said wall and having a hole therethrough
for receiving the shaft of said first agitating means;
a thrust bearing mounted in said wall and having a hole
therethrough for receiving the shaft of said first agitating means;
and
a seal cap received within said hole in said packing case, said
seal cap being provided with a means for sealing said seal cap
against said shaft of said first agitating means and a means for
sealing said seal cap against said packing case.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said packing case has a flange,
and said seal cap is received between said flange and said thrust
bearing.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said seal cap is secured
against rotational movement relative to said packing case.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said shaft of said first
agitating means has a thrust washer mounted thereon, said thrust
washer being received within the hole in said packing case between
said seal cap and said thrust bearing.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said shaft of said first
agitating means is further provided with means for holding said
thrust washer in place along said shaft.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising means for fastening
said thrust bearing to said packing case.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 5, wherein said seal cap is
provided with a tab thereon and said packing case is provided with
a slot for receiving the tab of said seal cap to secure said seal
cap against rotational movement relative to said packing case.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of storing
and selectively dispensing particulate ice. More particularly, the
present invention pertains to an ice storage and dispensing
apparatus which provides easy accessibility to a large quantity of
particulate ice but occupies a relatively small amount of counter
space in a food service establishment.
A number of devices for storing and dispensing particulate ice are
currently available. Such devices include a hopper for storage of
ice therein, generally of rectangular shape, having generally
perpendicular walls. Such a construction generally includes some
mechanical means which is selectively activated by pressing against
a lever arm pivotally mounted to the front of the hopper for moving
the ice out of the hopper through a gate as shown in U.S. Pat. No.
4,346,824. However, such dispensers are generally either large and
bulky, thereby taking up a large amount of space, or so small that
they contain so little ice that they must often be re-filled,
thereby requiring additional employee time to supply them with ice.
Reference to two design patents illustrates this dilemma: U.S. Des.
No. 265,203 describes a large, free-standing dispenser and U.S.
Des. No. 269,785 describes a much smaller, counter-top dispenser.
On information and belief, either or both of the dispensers
disclosed in those two design patents would include a mechanism
such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,824.
In many modern food service establishments, space and manpower
requirements are significant factors in the profitability of the
business. Such is especially the case in restaurants such as those
which are known as fast food-type restaurants, particularly in
those fast food outlets which have become particularly attractive
in recent years which are located, for instance, in the parking
lots of other business establishments which require only two or
three person crews to operate, and which serve relatively high
volumes of food in short periods of time. Food service apparatus
which occupies a small amount of space and which requires only
occasional re-filling or service is particularly well suited, if
not essential, for such restaurants. Consequently, devices such as
those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,824 and Pat. Nos. Des. 265,203
and Des. 269,785, are of limited utility in such restaurants.
The present invention is based upon the discovery that significant
space savings are made possible by the use of a sloped floor in the
ice hopper of the dispenser and the use of structure which allows
the motor and means for activating the motor to move the ice out of
the hopper to be located in the space formed between the walls of
the device and the underside of the upper end of the sloped floor
of the ice hopper. The use of a "canted" floor in an ice hopper is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,830, but the cant in the floor of
the ice hopper disclosed in that patent is to provide for the
draining of water therefrom and the motor and means for activating
the motor to move ice out of the hopper is not located under the
canted floor. Therefore, that device suffers from the same
disadvantages and limitations as the above-characterized
dispensers; namely, the relatively large size or, if built smaller,
the limited capacity for storage of particulate ice.
Another problem with the construction of ice dispensers such as
those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,346,824 and 4,423,830 is that
the means for moving the ice within the ice hopper tends merely to
move the mass of ice around in a circle inside the ice hopper
rather than to mechanically break apart the particulate ice.
Breaking the ice apart prevents the bridging and/or congealing of
the ice in a manner which causes the apparatus to either stop
dispensing ice from the hopper before the ice hopper is empty or
which causes the ice bridges to jam between the means for moving
the ice and the interior walls of the ice hopper itself. In either
situation, the apparatus must be serviced, which is exactly the
situation which the operator of the food service establishment
desires to avoid. The present invention overcomes that limitation
and disadvantage of prior art ice dispensers by providing a means
for mechanically breaking up the ice before it is moved out of the
ice hopper by the means for moving the ice out of the hopper.
Another disadvantage and limitation of prior art ice dispensers is
their tendency to dispense ice which is relatively "wet" in the
sense that the ice dispensed is partially melted. Generally, the
ice dispensed from such dispensers is wet because the ice is
dispensed from the bottom of the ice hopper. The ice at the bottom
of the ice hopper is wet because all the water from the ice in the
upper part of the ice hopper runs to the bottom of the hopper as it
melts. The present invention overcomes that limitation by providing
a sloped floor in the ice hopper, a drain at the lower end of the
sloped floor, and means for moving the ice at the bottom of the ice
hopper upwardly along the sloped floor, out of any melt water which
may have collected there, and out of the ice hopper. The drain is
located at the lower end of the sloped floor so that water from the
melted ice will run downwardly along the sloped floor and out of
the hopper. The fact that the drain is set at an angle to the
horizontal, i.e., in the sloped floor, makes the drain less likely
to clog or freeze up from partially melted ice.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an
apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate ice comprising a
substantially rectangular case having an ice hopper therein for
storage of particulate ice, the case having substantially vertical
side walls and the floor of the ice hopper sloping downwardly
within the case, means for moving particulate ice contained within
the ice hopper upwardly along the sloped floor from the lower end
of the floor to the upper end thereof, means at the upper end of
the sloped floor of the ice hopper for dispensing particulate ice
therefrom, and means mounted to said case in the space inside the
substantially rectangular walls thereof and under the sloped floor
of the ice hopper for selectively activating the ice moving means,
thereby moving ice upwardly along the sloped floor of the ice
hopper to the ice dispensing means at the upper end thereof and out
of the ice hopper therethrough.
Another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for
storing and dispensing particulate ice which is sanitary and which
dispenses ice without requiring a user to touch the ice.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus
for storing and dispensing particulate ice which does not generate
excessive amounts of heat, motor noise, or vibration when in use,
the mechanism being activated only when ice is being dispensed.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate ice having a drain
which is less likely to freeze over or plug up than the drains of
those dispensers which are currently available because the drain is
set in the floor of the ice hopper at an angle from the
horizontal.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate ice which prevents
ice from jamming in the discharge chute, the ice being mechanically
agitated by the dual action of a screw and stirring bars located
within the ice hopper of the storage and dispensing apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice
dispensing apparatus which stores enough ice therein so as not to
require frequent re-filling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice
dispensing apparatus which stores relatively large quantities of
ice therein but which does not occupy a large amount of counter
space in a food service establishment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of
dispensing particulate ice from a storage and dispensing apparatus
comprising loading an ice hopper with particulate ice, directing
the ice within the ice hopper to the lower end of the sloped floor
of the ice hopper, and agitating the ice contained within the ice
hopper and moving the ice upwardly along the sloped floor of the
ice hopper from the lower end thereof to dispense the ice from an
opening in the upper end of the sloped floor while draining the
melt water from the ice at the lower end thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus
for storing and dispensing particulate ice which permits the user
to control the quantity of ice dispensed.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate ice which
dispenses relatively dry ice in that the apparatus permits melt
water to be drained from the ice before the ice is dispensed
therefrom.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus for storing and dispensing particulate ice which is easy
to clean and practical to use.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in
the art who have the benefit of this disclosure from the following
description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention
and the drawings referred to therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects are accomplished by providing an apparatus for
storing and dispensing particulate ice comprising a substantially
rectangular case having an ice hopper therein for storage of
particulate ice, the ice hopper having substantially vertical side
walls and a floor which slopes downwardly within the case, and
means for moving particulate ice contained within the ice hopper
upwardly along the sloped floor from the lower end of the floor to
the upper end thereof. Means is provided at the upper end of the
sloped floor of the ice hopper for dispensing particulate ice
therefrom, and means is mounted to the case in the space formed by
the substantially rectangular walls and the sloped floor of the ice
hopper for selectively activating the ice moving means to move ice
upwardly along the sloped floor of the ice hopper to the ice
dispensing means at the upper end thereof and out of the ice hopper
therethrough.
The ice hopper is provided with an apparatus for sealing the
rotating shaft of the ice moving means in the stationary ice hopper
comprising a packing case mounted in the stationary ice hopper and
having a hole therethrough for receiving a rotating shaft. A seal
cap is received within the hole in the packing case and is provided
with means for sealing the seal cap against the packing case and
means for sealing the seal cap against the rotating shaft. A thrust
bearing is also mounted to the stationary ice hopper and is
received within the hole in the packing case and has a hole
therethrough for receiving the rotating shaft.
Also provided is a method if dispensing particulate ice from an ice
storage apparatus comprising loading the ice hopper of an ice
dispensing apparatus with particulate ice, selectively mechanically
agitating the ice contained within the ice hopper, directing the
ice within the ice hopper to the lower end of the sloped floor of
the ice hopper, and moving the ice upwardly along the sloped floor
of the ice hopper while the ice is being mechanically agitated to
dispense the ice from the upper end of the sloped floor while
draining the melt water from the ice at the lower end of the sloped
floor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of
an apparatus constructed according to the teachings of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 1--1 of the
apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of the packing case
shown in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an apparatus for storing and
dispensing particulate ice, designated generally at reference
numeral 10, which is comprised of a case 12 having an ice hopper 14
contained therein. As best shown in FIG. 2, ice hopper 14 is
provided with substantially vertical side walls 16 and a sloped
floor 18 at the bottom thereof having a lower end 17 and an upper
end 19. The side walls 16 and floor 18 of ice hopper 14 are
comprised of a shell member 20 and an insulating material 22
integral therewith. Shell 20 can be constructed of plastic or
metal, such as stainless steel, and insulating material 22 can be
any material suitable for insulating ice hopper 14, and preferably
water resistant.
A portion of the side wall 16, designated generally at reference
numeral 24, of ice hopper 14 is slanted at the back end thereof to
receive stirring bars 32--32' and shaft 42--42' as will be
described. The outside surface of insulating material 22 in the
area of the slanted portion 24, as well as the sloped floor 18, is
provided with an outer shell 210. Ice hopper 14 is closed by lid 26
which rests on the shell 20. Shell 20 is provided with an
overhanging lip 28 having slot 30 therein for receiving the walls
of case 12.
Ice hopper 14 is also provided with a pair of stirring bars 32
having blades 34 mounted thereon for mechanically agitating the ice
contained in ice hopper 14. Each of the stirring bars 32 is
journaled at one end in a thrust bearing 36 which is mounted in the
side wall 16 of ice hopper 14 (FIG. 2). The other end of each
stirring bar 32 passes through a packing box or case 38 set in the
back slanted portion 24 of side wall 16. To facilitate their
removal from ice hopper 14, stirring bars 32 are comprised of two
sections 32 and 32' held together by receipt of cone 33 integral
with bar 32' within a complimentary cavity (not numbered). Packing
boxes 38 prevent the passage of grease or other contaminants into
the interior of ice hopper 14, and each is held in position against
the back slanted portion 24 of side wall 16 by fastening means
40.
Ice hopper 14 is also provided with means for moving particulate
ice contained within ice hopper 14 upwardly along the sloped floor
18 from the lower end 17 to the upper end 19 thereof in the form of
an auger assembly 41 having a two piece shaft 42--42' which is
mounted at one end in a thrust bearing 44 similar to thrust
bearings 36 and at the other end passes through a packing box 38'
of the same type as packing boxes 38. Like stirring bars 32--32',
the shaft 42 of auger assembly 41 is comprised of portions 42 and
42', held together by cone 46 in a cavity (not numbered) as
described above for stirring bars 32--32'. Packing boxes 38 and 38'
(also referred to as "packing cases" 38 and 38') are comprised of
flange 142 and neck 144 portions, and enclose a bearing assembly
which is comprised of seal cap 201, thrust washer 205 and thrust
bearing 209 (see FIG. 3). Seal cap 201 is provided with shaft seal
O-ring 202 sealing against shaft 42' and O-ring face seal 203
sealing against the inside face of the flange 142 of packing boxes
38 and 38' Seal cap 201 is prevented from rotating about shaft 42'
by means of locking tabs 211 received within slot 212 located
inside the neck 144 of packing boxes 38 and 38'. The flange 142 of
packing boxes 38 and 38' is sealed against the surface of shell 20
by O-ring 204, and receives shaft 42' through opening 206 therein,
shaft 42' also passing through seal cap 201 and shaft seal O-ring
202. Thrust washer 205 is mounted on shaft 42' through opening 206
therein, shaft 42' also passing through seal cap 201 and shaft seal
O-ring 202. Thrust washer 205 is mounted on shaft 42' behind seal
cap 201 and is held in place by retaining rings 207 and 208. Thrust
bearing 209 is also mounted around shaft 42', and the flange 213
thereof bears against the outside surface of the outer shell 210 of
ice hopper 14, being positively secured thereto by fastening means
40 which extend through the flange 213 into the neck 144 of packing
box 38. Thrust bearing 209 also bears against thrust washer 205,
thrust bearing 209 being positively engaged therewith by fastening
means 40. Thrust bearing 209 is provided with one or more O-rings
214 for sealing against the neck 144 of packing case 38 (or
38').
Shaft 42--42' is provided with a plurality of flights 48 spaced
therealong. Ice hopper 14 is provided with means for directing the
ice contained therein to the lower end 17 of sloped floor 18 in the
form of auger cover 50. Auger cover 50 covers the upper portion of
auger assembly 41 and is integral with the side walls 16 of ice
hopper 14.
The lower end 17 of floor 18 is provided with a drain 52. Drain 52
is set in the lower end 17 of floor 18 at an angle from the
horizontal, thereby helping to prevent the freezing and/or ice
hopper 14 is moved upwardly along the sloped floor 18 by the
rotation of shaft 42--42', water drains back down floor 18 into
drain 52 and out of ice hopper 14, through elbow 54, into hose 56
and elbow 58, and into drain pan 60. Drain pan 60 is provided with
an outlet 62 having a hose 64 connected thereto for draining water
received from elbow 58 as well as through the grating 66 which
rests on the shoulder 68 of case 12.
The upper end 19 of floor 18 is provided with means for dispensing
particulate ice from inside ice hopper 14 in the form of an ice
chute 70 formed integrally in the floor 18. Ice chute 70 is
provided with a trap door 72 which is biased by spring 90 as will
be explained toward a first closed position in which trap door 72
abuts the shoulder 74 formed in the walls of ice chute 70. Biasing
trap door 72 closed in this manner helps keep insects and other
undesirables out of the interior of ice hopper 14. Trap door 72 is
pivotally mounted on pin 76 to the walls of ice chute 70, as is
lever arm 78, which is integral with trap door 72. Rod 80 is
pivotally attached to lever arm 78 by rivet 82 at one end and by
rivet 84 to the ear 86 of solenoid 88 at the other end. Spring 90
is bottomed against tab 92.
Referring once again to FIG. 2, the space 92 inside the
substantially rectangular walls of case 12 and under the upper end
19 of floor 18 of ice hopper 14 is provided with means mounted to
case 12 for selectively activating the ice moving means, thereby
moving ice upwardly along the sloped floor 18 of ice hopper 14 to
the ice chute 70 at the upper end 19 of floor 18 and out of ice
hopper 14. The means for activating the ice moving means comprises
a lever arm 94 pivotally mounted on pin 96 to case 12 in the
recessed portion of the side walls of case 12 behind ice chute 70.
Spring 97 biases lever arm 94 toward a first position in which trap
door 72 is closed and motor 108 (see below) is not activated. Lever
arm 94 is provided with a block 100 having a magnet 102, shown in
shadow lines in FIG. 2, contained therein. When lever arm 94 is
pushed from the first position in the direction of arrow 104 to a
second position, the magnetic field of magnet 102 is detected by
halogen switch 106, which closes a circuit to activate motor 108.
Halogen switch 106 and motor 108 are connected, and the circuit
formed, by wires 110 through junction box 112. At the same time
that the circuit connecting the halogen switch 106 and motor 108 is
completed to activate motor 108, the circuit including wires 114
through junction box 112 is completed to activate solenoid 88,
thereby causing the rod 80 to move in the direction of arrow 116,
compressing spring 90, to pivot trap door 72 in the direction of
arrow 118 to a second, open position. The electric circuit also
includes wires 120 which are connected to Hall effect sensor 122,
which is a magnetic switch which is closed by the presence of the
magnetic field of magnet 124 which is integral with the means for
closing ice hopper 14, i.e, lid 26. Only when the lid 26 of case 12
is closed is the circuit completed by Hall effect sensor 122,
thereby preventing the operation of stirring bars 32 and shaft
42--42' when the lid 26 is opened as a safety precaution. Motor 108
is provided with a gear box 126 through which drive shaft 128
carrying idler 130 thereon is driven. Idler 130 drives belt 132 to
operate shaft 42--42' through pulley 134. Shaft 42--42' is also
provided with an idler 136 which drives belt 138 to turn both
stirring bars 32 through pulleys 140.
Having described the structure of a presently preferred embodiment
of the invention, the method of using the invention will now be
described with reference to the figures. The ice hopper 14 is first
loaded with particulate ice. The ice contained within ice hopper 14
is then selectively mechanically agitated by stirring bars 32
having blades 34 thereon by pushing lever arm 94 in the direction
of arrow 104 to complete the electric circuit through halogen
switch 106, thereby activating motor 108 to turn stirring bars 32.
The ice within ice hopper 14 is directed to the lower end 17 of the
sloped floor 18 of ice hopper 14 by auger cover 50 and the slope in
the floor 18 and, as shaft 42--42' turns in response to the
completion of the circuit by halogen switch 106, the ice is moved
by flights 48 upwardly along the sloped floor 18 of ice hopper 14
to dispense the ice through ice chute 70 from the upper end 19 of
sloped floor 18 while draining the melt water from the ice through
drain 52 at the lower end 17 of sloped floor 18. To prevent any
bridging or congealing of the ice above trap door 72, thereby
preventing the opening thereof in the direction of arrow 118, the
flights 48 of shaft 42--42' are spaced at an interval defining a
volume of space that has cross-sectional area (which
cross-sectional area is that of the largest cross-section parallel
to the shaft of auger assembly 41) smaller than the smallest area
of the opening of ice chute 70. Spacing flights 48 in that manner
insures that all of the ice which is moved into the area directly
above ice chute 70 will fall out of ice hopper 14 through chute 70,
thereby eliminating the possibility of blockage of the chute
70.
Although the invention has been described in terms of the
above-characterized presently preferred embodiment, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this
disclosure that the embodiment described is but one device which
may be constructed according to the teachings of the present
invention and that other devices may be constructed without
departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is
contemplated that all such devices will be covered by the following
claims.
* * * * *